United Tech says Pratt engine fix only needed for CSeries plane

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

July 22 (Reuters) - A fix for Pratt & Whitney’s engine used in Bombardier Inc’s new CSeries jet is not expected to be needed on versions of the engine used in other aircraft, the chief financial officer of Pratt parent United Technologies Corp said on Tuesday.

Pratt executives said earlier this month the problem had to do with a seal in the oil system that would require a relatively minor adjustment. The aircraft has been grounded since late May after an engine failure during testing.

Along with the CSeries, Pratt’s new geared turbofan engine is offered on Airbus’ A320neo narrow-body plane and other new regional jets. The engine is helping revitalize Pratt’s commercial engine business.

“This particular fix we think is just related to the CSeries engine itself,” United Tech CFO Greg Hayes said on a conference call with analysts. “Each of the architecture is little bit different and we have not seen a similar issue on any of the other models that are out there.”

The company expects it will be a “couple of weeks” before the plane is flying again, Hayes said.

“This is not a big, big deal in terms of the architecture,” the CFO said. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)